Assessment Of The Creative Innovation: Prescription In A Locker Box (Pilbox)

The Pilbox was launched by Marine Parade Polyclinic on May 2016 which has now been extended to Bedok and Punggol Polyclinics too. It is an innovative product that has helped many people save their time by beating the queue at the Polyclinic pharmacy. To use Pilbox, patients with subscriptions must sign up for the service with the pharmacy staff and schedule a date to collect their repeat medication. SMS reminders will also be sent to patients a week before the collection date and when the medication is ready for collection. On the day of the collection, patients can pay for their medications at a self-help kiosk by keying in their identity card number followed by scanning the QR code on the receipt at a Pilbox station console. They then enter their pre-registered mobile number to collect their medication from a locker. The medicines are put manually into the lockers by the pharmacists to ensure accuracy. Polyclinics do provide delivery for medications but at a fee of $4. However, Pilbox is free of charge and is also available 24/7. Hence, bringing about much convenience to patients who do not have the time to wait for their medication at the pharmacy.

Reasons

I feel that Pilbox is a really creative and innovative service as patients no longer need to queue 30 to 45 minutes at the pharmacy, relieving the congestion there. The inspiration for Pilbox came from seeing how customers collect online purchases in e-commerce. In this case, patients just need to schedule a date for collection, make payment at the kiosk next to the lockers, and retrieve their medicines from their designated lockers. Moreover, it has been ensured to be error-free as there can be no mistakes with medication. As patient safety is a key priority, Pilbox has two built-in rounds of authentication for depositing and collecting each prescription.

Lastly, most medications are required to be stored at certain temperatures and thus, ensuring that medicines are stored at the right humidity and temperature conditions was a logistic challenge. This challenge was overcome through tests which were done to locate hotspots in the lockers. After which, safety measures were put in place whereby the lockers will immediately shut down if the temperature reaches its limit. Improvements Patients still need to queue and visit a doctor before getting the prescription for the medication. The Pilbox is only used for repeat medication and thus, may not be a very efficient way of saving time. Pilbox should collaborate with e-clinics whereby patients with minor illnesses can visit a doctor online and be prescribed medications which can be collected at Pilbox. By doing so, waiting time is completely shortened and Polyclinics will be able to serve patients with chronic illnesses better. Patients may not be open to the idea of a completely virtual procedure for visiting a doctor and collecting their medications. However, with much promotion and encouragement patients will be able to deviate from their traditional methods to the virtual process. In addition, nurses at the Polyclinics can help to promote virtual doctors by guiding patients on how to use the mobile application followed by Pilbox. By doing so, patients will trust the virtual process and continue using it. An example of a virtual clinic is Mydoc which can be used by patients with the various illnesses as seen below. In addition, Mydoc has only 10 minutes waiting time as compared to a long physical clinic waiting time. Thus, by converging Pilbox and virtual clinics, patients will not need to wait for long and can also be assured of accurate and proper medication.

Founded in 2012, Piper is the first home security and automation device that combines panoramic video, Z-Wave home automation, and environmental sensors into a single elegant product that interacts with people on their smartphone or tablet. Just by using a mobile application, people can complete control of their household. For example, people can schedule and remotely control appliances and lights directly from the Piper app. They can also set up sensors so that Piper can send them alerts and take action if there is a security breach. The app also has environmental data which is detected and thus, people can automate their home to make sure that they always come back to a comfortable and safe home. Piper is a wireless security system that is really easy to set up and use. Moreover, there are no monthly fees for the mobile application. The security system is equipped with a powerful HD camera, motion and sound detectors, two-way audio, a siren, and Z-Wave home automation capabilities. This just makes it even more reliable as for example, when you are in the office and get a notification of a motion that has been detected in your house, you know that it is accurate instead of being a false alarm like many another home automation systems.

Reasons

Portable: The Piper camera is lightweight and small, hence, making it easy for people to carry it around and move it from place to place. This allows security monitoring to be super straight-forward in non-traditional settings, like offices. For example, the constant video monitoring can help managers find out who has been reporting back to work late after a lunch break. Home Automation Ready: Not only does it monitor your surroundings but it also includes home automation. It only takes one device to carry out these 2 activities simultaneously. For example, there are door and window sensors. This means people can easily control their windows and doors whenever they want just by one click. Imagine being all comfortable in your bed and not needing to get up just to close the windows. Adaptable: The Piper security system can be used as a traditional security system or modified for more creative purposes. It works as an office alarm or a baby monitor. It can adapt to wherever it is placed and this makes Piper even more unique than other home security systems. Improvements Even though the Piper alarm is pretty handy, there are a few limitations that may not work for every home security need.

The mobile application does not have a security system in place for people accessing it. People can just open the application and control their home applications. However, this is a drawback as what if the person’s phone got stolen or lost. Moreover, nowadays with hacking being so simple, anyone can access the mobile application of the owner. This can pose as a huge threat as strangers will be able to access the private lives of people. Therefore, Piper should generate an authentication system whereby whenever the owner of the system wants to access the application, a password, thumbprint or face recognition is required. By doing so, Piper ensures full security of the person’s home. In addition, the Piper security camera is only fit for indoor use as it is not weather resistant. This limits the scope of the security offered. Hence, if a person would want to install the security camera in his/her garden to monitor their children, they will not be able to do so. This is a disadvantage and thus, Piper should come up with a water resistant security camera by either using waterproof materials or devising a waterproof holder to encase the security camera as shown below.

Lastly, the Piper security system is only perfect for small spaces. One device will not be sufficient for a larger home. Hence, requiring people to purchase multiple units. This is rather inconvenient and thus, Piper should work on a technology that allows the camera to shift its focus to a wide area instead of a limited space. For example, it can make the lens of the camera pop out and in or rotate in order to capture different areas. By doing so, it will more convenient for people who require a security camera for larger spaces.